1. Field of Invention
The present subject matter relates generally to illuminated mirrors, often referred to as makeup mirrors, and more particularly to such assemblies capable of enhancing user comfort.
2. Related Art
A widely used form of mirror comprises a specular surface surrounded by a light source which illuminates a user. In one common prior art form, a circular mirror is surrounded by a transparent or translucent ring. Various forms of illumination have been provided to transmit light through the ring.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,048,406 discloses a mirror device having one or more light devices disposed behind a mirror. A chamber is placed behind a mirror surface with a surrounding transmissive ring. This is referred to as a backlighted mirror. The light source may comprise incandescent lamps or light emitting diodes (LEDs).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,149 discloses a reversible, backlit grooming mirror with a planar mirror and a concave mirror mounted back-to-back in a reflector unit having a space between the mirrors. A light source is disposed in the space between the mirrors. The reflector unit is rotatable to present the planar mirror or the concave mirror to a user. The light source may comprise a halogen lamp. While halogen lamps provide strong illumination, they also generate more heat than other forms of lamps. This is a common cause of discomfort to users of makeup mirrors.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,433 discloses an illuminated mirror that includes a light that can be dimmed as desired by operating a dimmer switch on a base unit. This adjustment is primarily directed to incandescent lighting. While LEDs can be dimmed, the requisite circuitry is expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,836 to Carlucci, et al. discloses an illuminated mirror that has a first light source of a first color and a second light source of a second color, a reflective surface adapted to be illuminated by the light sources, and a switch. The switch selectively energizes selected bulbs or all bulbs to simulate home light, office light or daylight. Versatility of color adjustment is limited since the incandescent lamps are located in corners of a box-like frame.